1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electric connector for a camera system and more particularly to an electric connector for a camera system for electrically connecting between a camera body and a photographic lens which constitute the camera system and are rotary-detachable to each other, and electric elements mounted to a camera accessory.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, an electric connector for a photographic lens was composed of a contact unit which was provided within a range not exceeding an angle of rotation in rotatively mounting the photographic lens to the camera body. Therefore, the electric connector for the camera body and the camera accessory was also likewise composed of the contact unit which was provided within a range not exceeding an angle of rotation.
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. 62-140528, and as shown in a cross section for its contact unit in FIG. 6, a housing unit (101a, 101b) was provided with a plurality of cylindrical, concave holes (102) in the radiating direction from the optical axis. In each concave hole (102), a contact member (103a) for having an elasticity to project its head in the radiating direction outward energized in the radiating direction outward, and a circuit substrate (108) for electrically connecting therewith were inserted.
When mounted to the camera body as shown in a transverse sectional view showing a state when mounted in FIG. 8, the contact member (103a) on the photographic lens side was pressed against a contact member (113) on the camera body side by the energizing force for connection so that a communication was conducted between the camera body and the photographic lens.
Since, however, electronic improvement of the camera system has advanced, types of the accessories have increased, and information to be exchanged between the camera body and the photographic lens has remarkably increased, it has been recently requested to increase the numbers of each contact.
When contact units of conventional types are used and their number is increased in order to widely secure the interchangeability between conventional camera bodies and photographic lenses, it has become necessary to provide the contact units in a range beyond the angle of rotation in mounting.
When, however, the contact unit is provided beyond the angle of rotation in mounting, the contact unit on the photographic lens side projecting in the radiating direction comes into contact with the housing of the contact unit on the camera body side during mounting, or the above-mentioned contact likewise occurs to the contact unit on the camera body side, and there was a problem that mounting could not be smoothly made.
As regards the contact unit energized in the radiating direction, when attempting to forcibly mounting by obliquely inserting with the mount surface tilted on mounting the photographic lens, the contact unit will be damaged.